Through the Trees
by Serena Thorn
Summary: Ruby didn't need to remember the paths she once took for them to find her, and Mr. Gold, on a night she ventures back into the forest.


Title: Through the Trees  
>Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me but by ABC. I'm just borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.<br>Characters: Ruby, Mr. Gold, mentions most everyone else and past Red Riding Hood/Rumpelstiltskin  
>Summary: Ruby didn't need to remember the paths she once took for them to find her, and Mr. Gold, on a night she ventures back into the forest.<br>Notes: This was written for onceuponaprompt on LJ, table: c, prompt 04. hot cocoa.

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><p>Only a week since the last time, Ruby had once again found herself feeling that she was in dire need of an escape. And soon she found herself walking further from the lights of Storybrooke than usual.<p>

She wasn't naive enough to try to actually leave the town again, not when her grandmother had suffered a heart attack after the last time and Ashley had all but crashed her car when attempting to escape herself. Clearly the town didn't like it when people tried to leave.

Instead she decided on the next best thing. Somewhere that she couldn't possibly hear the diner's jangling door bell, or her grandmother chastising her for not living her life the way she wished for her to or even any more whiskey or hot cocoa orders. Tonight she just needed quiet.

Anyone else might have been nervous or even afraid to be in the forest at that time of night, but not her. She felt she knew the woods well, even if she didn't come out here necessarily often enough. These sounds, of owls and crickets, she could get used to. The smells of the trees and fresh night air as well. They were certainly better than the sounds of loud, indistinct chatter and the smell of day old cheeseburger grease and cleansers, that was for sure.

She took a seat when she came upon a large fallen tree, enjoying for a moment how nature could provide. The trunk may not have been entirely comfortable, but it would do for the moment. At least she could take some time to take in even more of the sights around her. The stars above, the rustling of leaves as the light wind blew.

But then she heard what sounded like a branch being moved, and the crunch of leaves under what seemed to be a shoe. Had someone followed her? It couldn't be Granny, she would never come out here. And the only other person she could think of who felt as comfortable in the woods as she did wasn't there anymore.

She looked, over one shoulder and then the other, nothing. When she heard the sound again she relaxed a bit when she decided it could easily be Henry. He was almost starting to remind her a bit of herself with how many times he had already run away from home in the past month. Ten years old and already crossing state lines without his mother's permission or knowledge. She smirked, actually a little proud of the kid. He had guts, that was for sure.

But then the sound came again, much closer, and made her realize it clearly wasn't a child in the forest. And this time when she looked behind her she finally saw who it was; though she was unsure if she should should be relieved or even more afraid.

"Mr. Gold?" she asked, unable to believe her eyes. What could he be doing in the forest at night?

"Oh, Ruby, my apologies if I startled you," he replied.

"If?" she chuckled. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same," he stated, minding the uneven terrain as he stepped closer to where she was sitting.

"I asked you first," she volleyed, finally relaxing a bit.

"Indeed you did. Well, I came out here to check on something. How about you?"

"The quiet," she answered as she turned back around, letting out a deep breath when her eyes stared back up to the stars.

"Ah. I shall leave you to it then," he told her, beginning to turn back towards the direction from which he had come.

"No - I didn't mean that," she sighed as she looked back to him. "You can stay. Even sit, if you want. I don't mind _you_ being here. I just had to get away from the diner and the inn and wherever else I could."

That much he could certainly understand. So with a nod in acceptance of her offer, he carefully made his way closer to the fallen tree and took the seat beside her. "Granny giving you a hard time again, then?"

She smiled as she looked over at him. She was almost relieved it wasn't a secret. And considering he was the one who would usually come into the inn the most, even if just to collect the rent, he would certainly be one of the few to know best. "No more than usual."

He knew that to be a yes. "You don't think she'll worry about you being out here?"

She shook her head. "Not for a while at least. She's still at the diner, probably figures I went home." Really, she knew Granny would think she was either home or that she had gone home with any one of the Storybrooke men Granny presumed she spent so many of her nights with. She didn't care. Someone had to have the label of the town slut, may as well be her.

"Probably best she thinks that," he agreed.

She laughed. "Oh, yeah. Especially now. Knowing I'm sitting here, in the forest, at night, with you. I'd never hear the end of it. My own fault for thinking being an adult meant I could make my own choices, clearly."

"At least you know she cares for you." He knew things had been tense between them for a while now, and Granny's opinions of him aside, he knew the old woman meant well.

"Ever hear of too much of a good thing?" Ruby asked him. When he chuckled, and nodded, she took another deep breath. "It all just feels so much easier out here. Like home, even. Just, maybe a little better since no one's nagging me."

"Home?" That got his attention. Had Graham not been the only one to begin to remember a past connection with the forest? While he had never forgotten his own, he had been sure to never admit it. Certainly not to Regina. But this made him wonder. What could Ruby be remembering?

"Yeah. Like I could be out here for days and be fine. And it really is so peaceful here. Maybe I should just build a treehouse or something, go there whenever I'm having a night like this. Where I guess only one or two people would know where to find me." Mr. Gold had found her tonight, and if she really were to build anything it would be Leroy she would be buying the supplies from, so she supposed her guess was accurate.

Mr. Gold turned slightly, glancing back as far as he could see in the dark. He knew right where they were, having his own reasons for coming out to forest as often as he did. He wondered if that was why she had ventured so far tonight herself. And to mention a treehouse. True his had been a spacious cottage, but it was in a heavily wooded area so it wouldn't be easy for most to find. If it was still standing at all he was sure it would be just under their feet if they continued walking just a few yards up.

All this time he had tried not to think back to those days. Still attempting to wish away those pangs of loss and longing. But now, beside her and specifically there, all he could see in his mind were visions of that red-cloaked girl who so often found herself at his door. Her cloak itself, sometimes draped over a chair, even once over his spinning wheel when she had grown impatient of waiting for him to join her.

It was when he thought back to a night her cloak had been all covering them both after he had taken her under the stars that he finally shook his head in an attempt to shake the memory. It wasn't often he missed his days as that Imp, but there were certain things he wouldn't have minded having back. And almost all of them seemed to involve her in one way or another. Her kindness, her touch, even just her presence.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked him, realizing how quiet he had gotten.

"Do you ever wonder why you feel so at peace here?" he asked, her voice finally distracting him from his reverie.

"Not really. I'm usually just too relieved to be able to come out here and be mostly alone." There went most of his hope of her remembering anything. At least for the moment. She continued, "Granny hates the woods and you're just about the only one to ever find me out here."

"I suppose I have a way of finding things that wish to no longer be lost."

"I was never lost," she pointed out.

"You were lost in your thoughts," he volleyed.

"Can you blame me?"

He shook his head. "It's true, it is nice enough out here to imagine what it would be like to live here, just a little further from those in town."

"Tough day with the mayor?" If he was wanting to even escape his estate just to be further from town, she knew Regina was likely why. She knew they didn't really get along. They kept up appearances when they had to, but it was clear that once no one was looking their hatred for one another showed through. Or maybe just to those who paid enough attention.

That time he laughed. Maybe she did still know him after all. "You could say so."

"Which explains why you're out here," she nodded, believing she had her answer. "Quite a pair, huh? Me hiding from my grandmother and you're hiding from the mayor."

He smiled, not wanting to laugh, but that was quite a picture she had just painted. "I wouldn't say I'm hiding. Just, avoiding. For the moment."

"Yeah. Avoiding could still take place somewhere you could claim to have other business. Instead you're in the forest, at night. Who would look for you here?"

She may have had a point. But his smile never left his lips as he replied, "I guess now you could. If you were so inclined."

"I just might keep that in mind," she smirked to him. A new secret? Having someone there she could talk to who actually understood her want to escape while also facing the same limitations of not being able to leave themselves? Yeah, she decided, it did sound pretty good.

Maybe she didn't remember their past, or even her own. And maybe he wouldn't be the one to bring it up. But now as they were returning to staring up at the night sky in a comfortable silence and Ruby was moving just a bit closer to him, Mr. Gold knew how likely it was that she would finally be finding her way back to him, and even to his door, sooner rather than later.

The End


End file.
